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Naples, Italy's Most Misunderstood City

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See Naples and die

This idea for your trip to Italy's third largest city, the capital of the Campania region, with the largest historic city centre in Europe, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, reveals 2800 years of history. Italy’s most misunderstood city has 914,758 inhabitants. The metropolitan area of the wider Naples region counts approximately 2,180,348 inhabitants. You can find out why Naples is Italy’s most misunderstood city to this day with travel tips from Hostelling International Slovenia, where we offer all our members countless discounts on HI accommodation, travel insurance, city activities and other up-to-date offers when travelling around the world.

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See Naples and die is a translation of "Siehe Neapel und stirb", which are the words of the German writer and poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. In his report Italienische Reise, written as a result of his travels in Italy in 1786 and 1788, he writes down the words with which he conceived the beauty of the Italian city. See Naples and die (vedi Napoli e poi muori) can be understood as a reality of what a traveller would experience and see in Naples, which, with the immense beauty of the city, does not represent any comparable value of aesthetic pleasure. The starting point of the Italian quotation introduces the notion of beauty and death, which Goethe uses to refer to the history of the Kingdom of Sicily in the 12th century.

How to travel sustainably?

Sustainable tourism in green Naples, which encourages the values of a green way of life on your trip, helps to preserve the living environment and the local community of the capital of Campania. You can discover what to look out for when travelling to Naples, in order to act sustainably and explore the different options that match your interests. Let your journey start with a sustainable choice of transport provider that will keep your carbon footprint low and therefore minimise the impact on the environment and people. When choosing accommodation, look out for ecotourism accommodation where the focus is on green tourism. Choose locally grown food, avoid eating dishes with meat, and try to mix your daily meals with fruit and vegetables. How to live sustainably in Naples:

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  • Use sustainable solution products, tailored to your needs. Daily use of products increases the amount of waste material and therefore greenhouse gas emissions, so use a sustainable bottle and metal jar for daily liquid intake, a metal straw, metal cutlery (knife, spoon and fork) and sustainable containers for prepared food and groceries.
  • Your cosmetic bag should be ecologically and sustainably equipped. Buying cosmetic products can harm animals as they are used to test products, so use products with a NOT TESTED ON ANIMALS or cruelty-free label to help find sustainable solutions. Your bag should contain a wooden toothbrush and home-made products in metal containers.
  • Discover the city in a green way of sustainable values with the right ideas. You can go around the city on foot or with an electric bike and scooter, which helps reduce the impact of harmful substances on the environment. For a relaxing day out, visit the Urbano dei Camaldoli, Falcone E Borsellino and Capodimonte Porta Piccola. You can spend the day wandering along the trails and exploring the natural sights.

The eruption of Vesuvius

The ancient Italian city of Pompeii, which operated not far from Naples in the province of Campania, came to an end with the eruption of the Vesuvius stratovolcano in 79 AD. The mystery of Pompeii, dating back to between the 7th and 6th centuries BC, thrills visitors to the archaeological site, which has been excavated 4 to 6 metres deep from under volcanic ash. Capturing the moment in the life of the Pompeians when the city burned at the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, it shows the everyday life of a Roman unearthed by the Pompeian excavations. Many archaeological sites were destroyed during the excavations, which is why the city of Naples remains the most misunderstood Italian city to this day. Pompeii suffered more than 1150 casualties when Mount Vesuvius erupted. Some of the bodies were found as if they had tried to escape the eruption.

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Experience the Pompeii ruins and Mount Vesuvius on a day trip from Naples to Pompeii, where you can visit the site and enjoy lunch. The tour continues to Mount Vesuvius and back to Naples. The offer to see the Pompeii Ruing and Mount Vesuvius includes both tickets. With the next offer you can explore Pompeii in the Virtual Archaeological Museum and see the reconstruction of the Forum, Baths and Amphitheatre. Explore the ancient city with 3D models. Relax on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius with a glass of Lacryma Christi DOC wine and spectacular views of the coastal towns of the Campania region. You can also choose between vegetarian and vegan meals prepared with locally produced food.

City landmarks with five hundred churches

Naples is the city that contains the largest amount of churches with chapels in the world. The city has a total of five hundred churches and two thousand chapels from different periods, built in the characteristic architectural styles of the profane building heritage. Of all the churches, the 13th-century Cathedral of the Assumption in Naples, designed in Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Neo-Gothic styles, is the main place of worship. The Cathedral with the Royal Chapel of the Precious of Saint Januarius preserves the remains of Saint Januarius with two bottles containing the saint's blood in a solid state. The dome of the Chapel of the King is decorated with frescoes by the Baroque painter Domenichino, who painted four acts: the Promise of the Neapolitans, the Meeting of the Saint with Jesus, the Presentation of the Virgin and the Patronage of the Saints.

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Guided tour of the city centre and the Sansevero Chapel, where you can see Giuseppe Sanmartino's famous sculpture, The Veiled Christ, depicting the ancient Roman statue of the Nile god, and the churches of San Lorenzo and San Paolo Maggiore. A guided tour ticket to the underground of Naples takes you through the city's 2,400-year-old history, from the time of Ancient Greece to the present day. The visit includes a tour of the Greco-Roman aqueduct, the ruins of the Roman amphitheatre and the restored seating. Travel back in time to the Neapolitan Catacombs of St Januarius, patron saint of Naples, and discover the history of the underground passages, 1,000-year-old frescoes and paintings dating back to the Byzantine Empire in the 9th and 10th centuries with a guided tour.

Visit the Palazzo Reale in Piazza Plebiscito to see the Royal Rooms, the Court Theatre, the Ambassadors' Corridor, the Throne Room, the Corridor of Hercules, the Palatine Chapel and the 5th-century Coptic Bible. National Archaeological Museum (MANN) presents its collection of Greco-Roman artefacts and antiquities with a one-day ticket. See the Farnese collection of engraved gemstones and marble statues. Admire the works of Caravaggio, Andy Warhol, Titian, Parmigianino, Borgia and Carracci at the Capodimonte National Museum, where porcelain exhibits are on display in the Porcelain Gallery and Porcelain Cabinet on the second and third floors.

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Take a break with Globetrotter e-magazine

Whenever you think of travelling somewhere, it's always a good idea to learn about the place you're travelling to beforehand and explore everything the destination has to offer. The Globetrotter e-magazine, published on the website of the Hotelling International Slovenia, gives the reader a glimpse through the eyes of our journalists, with whom you can travel around the world. A trip to Naples with a travelogue article Holidays in Naples reveals the personal story of journalist Nastja's journey through Naples, the islands of Procida and Capri, the Herculano Archaeological Park, the town of Sorrento, the village of Positano and the Furore Fjord. Find out where you can take time to relax and discover the natural and cultural sights of southern Italy. Let your journey begin with Globetrotter's travel articles.

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